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Below are some tidbits on baseball and sportscard collecting.
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Q1: How long have sports cards been around ?

(part 1)
The first baseball trading cards date back to 1869. For many years,
baseball cards were packaged in packs of tobacco as a way to increase sales
the same way that today prizes are packaged in boxes of cereal.
In the 1920's and 1930's, candy and gum companies started packaging baseball
cards in their products as well.

Baseball card production was virtually halted in the early 1940's due to paper
shortages created by World War II. The "Modern Era" of baseball cards began in
1948 when Bowman Gum Inc. offered one card and one piece of gum in a pack for a penny.

The first important football set was the Mayo set featuring college players
in 1984. Other than the 1935 National Chicle set no other key football set was
issued until 1948 when noth Bowman and Leaf produced sets.

Without a doubt this is my favorite set - PERIOD. Regular issue, test issues,
inserts ... whatever ... this is # 1 !!!

Patterned after the famous Mecca Double Folders issued in the early 1900's,
these colorful 2 1/16" x 4 7/8" cards are actually 2-cards-in-1! They are perforated
in the center and depending on which way you fold the card you create cards of 2 different
players. Unperforated 1955 Topps DoubleHeaders can sometimes be found.

All 132 players (66 cards) in the 1955 Topps DoubleHeaders set were also in Topps regular issue.
Interestingly, images for the DoubleHeaders were taken from the action images
on regular 1955 Topps ..or.. vice-a-versa. A 1955 Topps DoubleHeaders wrapper
shown above.
One of the special aspects of this beautiful set is that when layed side-by-side
they form spectacular scenes from actual stadiums !!! Old-timers - can you identify the stadiums ?

1963 Fleer Baseball

In an attempt by Fleer to circumvent Topps exclusive rights to baseball
cards, Fleer issued their 1963 baseball cards with cookies instead of gum.
It is commonly thought that the 1963 Fleer baseball card issue was intended
to be a much larger set issued in multiple series but Topps sued Fleer after
their first series was released stopping further production. Due to Topps
deep pockets Fleer soon pulled the set from the market and cancelled their
plans for the remaining series leaving this very, very popular set at just
66 cards plus one unnumbered checklist.

But what a 66 cards !!! The 1963 Fleer Cards are attractive and feature
an extremely high percentage of stars. Some of the top stars in the
1963 Fleer baseball card set are Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays,
Carl Yastrzemski, Sandy Koufax, Roberto Clemente, Don Drysdale and
Warren Spahn.. The set also included 2 very scare Short Prints,
Joe Adcock and an unnumbered checklist.

The most interesting card in this set is the Maury Wills Rookie card.
Even though Wills started his major league career with the Dodgers way back
in 1959 quickly becoming a superstar, his 1963 Fleer card is considered his
rookie card ! How is this possible ?
Well, back in 1959, 1960 and 1961, Topps did not consider Wills worthy
enough to have a baseball card.

As hobby lore has it: Needless to say, Wills was very upset at this slight from Topps. After Wills won the 1962 N.L. MVP award,
Topps quickly came a courting but Wills answered with a large "NO".
From 1961 thru 1966, Wills prevented Topps from making any of his baseball
cards. Wills and Topps finally made up making his 1967 Topps high number short print his first Topps card and
also his most expensive card. Adding interest to the Wills baseball card
story, Post Cereal released a Maury Wills card in their 1962 set making that
the earliest Maury Wills rookie card. Wills was also pictured on a special
1960 Topps card featuring the 1959 World Series. The card features
Luis Aparicio stealing 2nd base with Wills pictured trying to make the tag.

Much of the above is true but Wills has said there was no "fued" with Topps
and that he simply had signed exclusive agreements with Fleer.